The UK government undertook serious changes on the UK Tier 2 Skilled Worker program at the end of last year. As a result of the old government migration policy, a lot of immigrants entered the UK pretending to be ‘skilled workers’ while they actually came to work as low skilled workers. Tier 2 visa is a five-year visa for skilled workers who have got a job offer from a UK employer. They need a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from their prospective employer, which proves that the vacancy is genuine. There’s a list of occupations eligible for Tier 2. James Brokenshire, UK Immigration and Secutiry Minister said: “We’ve all heard the stories under the last government of people on skilled visas working as takeaway drivers – but our reforms are cracking down on abuse. The fact that fewer than two per cent of Tier 2 sponsor licence applications were refused under the old government is ample illustration of the open-door immigration policy and the incompetence of the UK Border Agency in administering it. Our reformed immigration enforcement operation has been given renewed focus and vigour by operating under direct ministerial over-sight. Crackdowns like this are yet another example of how we are building an immigration system that works for British nationals and legitimate migrants, and is tough on those who flout the rules.” Since the last changes, the immigration officers are able to refuse Tier 2 applications if they consider it’s not a genuine skilled job or if the applicant is not qualified enough for that job. Even people applying for transferring into their UK based subsidiary will be scrutinized now. The UK Home office is tightening the rules for the Tier 2 visa, checking the size and background of the business. Job advertising is obligatory if a UK based company wants to employ someone from abroad and they will be required to prove there’s no UK resident suitable to take the job. Visa First is a leading international immigration consulting company. We can help you to apply for your visa fast and hassle-free today. If you found this information useful, please share 🙂...

Australians and New Zealanders should be free to live and work in the UK as long as they wish; this was announced in the last Commonwealth report. The new visa arrangements should make it easier and cheaper for Aussies and Kiwis to move to the United Kingdom. The scheme will be based on the trans-Tasman agreement between Australia and New Zealand and will allow any Australian or New Zealander who want to travel, live and work in the UK to get a free visa. The same should apply to British citizens who want to work in Australia or New Zealand. The same program should be extended to Canadians as well because these countries share the same language, culture, legal systems and all are highly developed economies. This visa program is perhaps an attempt of the UK Immigration to respond to the decreased number of immigrants into Britain from Australia, Canada and New Zealand dropped to less than 30,000 in 2011 compared to 70,000 back in 2004. A Commonwealth-wide business visa system is to be introduced based on the Asian business card which will also include fast-track passport lanes at UK airports. The report also recommended the extending of the Youth Mobility visa to more Commonwealth countries. Visa First is a leading international immigration consulting company. We can help you to apply for your visa fast and hassle-free today. If you found this information useful, please share 🙂 Visa FirstMore...

Studying abroad is a life-changing experience and probably one of the most rewarding things you can do for yourself. Top 6 Reasons to Choose Studying Abroad? It’s an opportunity to get to know other cultures. It’s an opportunity to travel a lot. It’s an opportunity to better learn a language. It’s an opportunity to gain life experience. It’s an opportunity to learn more about yourself and to widen your horizon. It’s an opportunity to develop valuable career skills. How to prepare for studying abroad? You need to start with the first and may be most important step: choosing the right study abroad program! You’ll need to pick the country and the city you want to study in. Then you need to pass the required tests to enrol there. Once you get enrolled, you need to ask for an official admission letter, which you’ll need for your visa. Once you’ve done this, you need to prepare yourself for your destination country. Make a bucket list with at least 10 things you need to do before leaving your city, read information about the city, the weather, any social and sport clubs, libraries, restaurants, cinemas etc. Student Visas Once you have the enrolment letter in your hands, you can think of the appropriate visa you’ll need. Contact VisaFirst to get a free assessment fast and hassle-free. Australian Student visa Australia is a key destination for international students. The country is the third most popular destination after the US and the UK. Australia receives 20 times more international students than the number of Australian students who choose to study abroad. The Australian study visa allows you to study full time and to work part time for up to 20 hours a week. You need to be enrolled in an institution that is registered with the Australian government. You can enter Australia one month before the course starts and you also have one month to leave the country after your course ends. You can bring your spouse and/or dependent children on your student visa and they have the same rights as yourself. There’s no age...

This visa scheme will enable international tourists to travel to both countries with one and the same short-stay visa. Travelers from non-EU countries will be able to move freely between both countries on the same permit. This pilot project will be firstly launched for Chinese and Indian passport holders and later on rolled out widely. It’s an opportunity for both countries to boost tourism an business visits and a remarkable step in the British-Irish relations. Visa First is a leading international immigration consulting company. We can help you to apply for your visa fast and hassle-free today. If you enjoyed this post, please share 🙂 Visa FirstMore...

New visa will give more Australians the opportunity live and work in Great Britain. A new visa deal was being trashed out in response to the migration changes that the British government did two years ago whereby 20,000 skilled people were prevented from applying outside the EU. This has caused a significant drop of 50% less Australians coming to work in the UK. The British Government was concerned that if they make an exception for Australia, it would have to make exception for other Commonwealth nations as well, but Australia insisted to be treated in a special way because of its status and relationship with Great Britain. It was really strict for Aussies to enter the UK and the current British visa system was often called ‘discriminating against Australians’. It is expected that the new policy will be completed for review by a parliamentary committee by the end of this year. Visa First is a leading international immigration consulting company. We can help you to apply for your visa fast and hassle-free today. Visa FirstMore...

A recent economic research showed that 85 percent of British society, mainly economists and academics agree that migration in the UK will increase the economy in the next decade. At the same time, the government has recently approved measures that made it significantly more difficult to a number of skilled and highly skilled workers, students and family members from outside the EU to migrate to the UK. According to the official statistics the number of highly educated migrant workers decreased from approx. 340,000 in 2007 to 240,000 in 2013. It seems migration is going to be a serious issue in build-up to the elections in 2015. Among the basic benefits of the migration is the increase of the overall number of jobs rather than taking them off the British people. Experts are clear that if the immigration is precisely regulated, it can fulfil specific job vacancies; increase flexibility and improve labour-market conditions as a whole. This research also showed that reducing immigration into the UK will have negative impact on the economy and lead to tax rises. Visa FirstMore...

Perhaps, the UK is not the most attractive country in the world but it’s still in the top 5! Can you guess why? Of course, it’s a combination of factors – people, landscapes and countryside, cities, historical and cultural heritage, business environment, new technologies, infrastructure, good education institutions and many more. Cultural and historical heritage This is usually very high ranked factor for a country’s attractiveness. You can discover here the mystery of Stonehenge, the walls of Edinburgh Castle, the masterpieces at Tate Modern. The historical heritage is that rich because the British Isles have a rich and diverse history of rise and fall of tribes, kingdoms, empires and nations. It’s true that the historical places make up some of the most popular tourist sites in the UK: Edinburg Castle, Roman Bath, Stonehenge and Westminster Abbey. There a plenty of medieval castles, monuments, museums and ancient cites for you to visit in the UK. The UK is hosting one of the most impressive exhibitions, events, festivals, performances and cultural treats. Business Environment For the last decade, the UK has been the top recipient of foreign direct investment projects. The Government is making constantly efforts to enhance country’s assistance in areas such as taxation, trade, new technologies. According to financial researches, the UK is considered very attractive for overseas companies. The country is still the European destination of choice for most of the US investors. Another key strength of the UK business is its lead in the financial and software services as well as in the fast-growing business services. Education The UK Higher Education System is one of the most developed in the world. 71 UK universities are ranked in the 2013/2014 World University Rankings, 4 of which currently ranked among the world’s top ten – University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, University College London, London School of Economics and Political Sciences, University of Edinburgh etc. Coast and Countryside The UK countryside and coast are magnificent all seasons with its picturesque woodlands, countless cottages, daffodil valleys, glistening rivers, hills and sheep-coated fields, a lot of...